The Cookies Are a Lie
by Caverna Lazernus
Summary: Mia decides to be the judge of a bake-off. But then something goes wrong and she falls into what seems an eternal sleep. Nobody knows what's wrong and a mission is needed to find out Mia's mystery.


Mia loved the tingly, inspirational feeling she felt after her luscious gold hair was pampered with the most expensive treatment at Fringe, a high-class salon at the edge of town.

Mia gave her hair a test-toss, and was pleased with the result. She took a few steps before somebody bumped into her.

Cake was splattered all over her new mint dress with tiny emeralds embroidered into the hem. Worst of all, it got into her hair. Her hair! Her friggin' hair!

Anger exploded inside Mia like fireworks (glamorous and amazing ones of course, but that was not the point), and she turned to examine the criminal.

It was Nishan, the creepy nerd that used to work for Max. And unfortunately, Mia's classmate.

Mia tossed a disgusted look at Nishan. "This dress is **DESIGNER**!"

She was about to add more but remembered her allegiance to be as nice as humanly possible. She opted to questions before Nishan could laugh at her sudden transition.

"Why do you have a cake?" she asked.

Nishan turned fiery red and finally managed, "We're having a bake-off…"

Mia's sweet tooth couldn't resist the offer. "Of course I'll be judge!"

She picked up her bags and re-entered Fringe, pointing to her frosting-covered hair, ignoring the gaping Nishan left outside.

()()()

Mia jumped onto her duvet after changing into a blue silk tube top and skinny jeans. She took her pure, fresh-squeezed, no-concentrate lemonade and gave a sip. Her father and Max had been ignoring her since she left Hearst, but she didn't mind. At least her father had the decency not to order the servants to give her the silent treatment too.

She took the remote control and settled on a rerun of Gossip Girl. She got off the bed with Gossip Girl running at full volume and blasting from the personalized pink speakers sitting on the dresser below the flatscreen. She entered her walk-in closet and dug through, hoping for a queenly look that would name her judge at first glance.

The door cracked open and Max poked his face through the crack. Mia walked back out and said, annoyed at being interrupted during her fashion hunt, "What?"

"Turn down the volume, doofus," Max snapped. "I'm watching myself play football and all these girly voices annoy me."

Mia turned the volume down by a bar, and smiled smugly as Max left. Then she locked her door and returned it to full volume.

"Max is so stupid sometimes," Mia giggled to herself and returned to looking for the perfect top.

()()()

Nishan finally blurted out, "I accidentally made Mia the judge!"

To his surprise, all of his classmates murmured in agreement.

"She's really picky so she'll be good."

"Good job, Nishan!"

Everybody left the nerd hangout and Nishan sighed in relief. He only hoped they wouldn't regret their choice tomorrow.

()()()

Mia's glittering green top was cinched at the waste by a golden chain. Her short ripped shorts made walking difficult, but Mia didn't mind. Her wedges added to the challenge, but Mia was a pro at strutting. A tiara-shaped clip took over a portion of her golden-blonde hair.

She finally saw her throne. It was a plastic chair with **JUDGE** hastily scribbled across the back with Mr. Sketch marker.

Mia stomped her wedge on the grass. "I need a proper throne," she complained.

Payton turned to the crowd. "Anybody have pocket money?"

An hour later, Mia was comfortably in a marble throne with a silk pillow wedged under her butt. She would have preferred gold, but this would do.

Two annoyed students swayed palm leaves over her, out of sync, unfortunately.

"First!" she clapped her hands.

The first student walked over to Mia and extended the cake to Mia. Mia took a bite and nearly spitted it out.

"Is this non-fat whipped cream?" she spat.

"Um, I don't think so."

Mia sighed. This was going to be a long day.

()()()

"So?" demanded Payton. "Who won?"

"I feel woozy," whispered Mia. "It was probably the low-quality desserts."

"I'll have you know that sugar cookie frosting was the most expensive!" Payton shouted.

"How much?" Mia laid her head on the armrest.

"Ten dollars," Payton admitted. "But, anyway-"

"Stop arguing," ordered Nishan. "She looks funny. Julian, pick her up."

Julian nervously put the now no longer-awake Mia into his arms and carried him to the Nerd Hangout to "analyze her" under Nishan's order.

()()()

After a few hours, Nishan looked up from his laptop and clicked the final button. A big gray box covered in buttons whirred loudly. The wires connecting it to the laptop began to glow with power. Everybody except the nerds looked nervous.

Nishan began to examine the JavaScript and sighed.

"Modern technology and science can't find out what's wrong with her. A teen website says she has the Sleeping Beauty, but I highly doubt it."

Everybody looked at the peaceful girl lying on the gurney. And then, she said something.

"Cookies."


End file.
